


4 Sticks

by 51stCenturyFox



Series: Jukebox Heroes [4]
Category: Marvel Avengers Movies Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Background Femslash, Background Maria Hill/Pepper Potts, Banter, Developing Relationship, F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-25
Updated: 2012-05-25
Packaged: 2017-11-06 00:04:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/412528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/51stCenturyFox/pseuds/51stCenturyFox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Continuation of a series, in which Pepper lets Tony down easy and members of the team who <i>weren't paying attention</i> before find out about Tony and Steve.</p><p>
  <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/399019">No. 1 With A Bullet</a>
  <br/>
  <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/401920">Love Me 2 Times</a>
  <br/>
  <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/406179">3 The Hard Way</a>
</p><p>
  <i>And then he considers that maybe she'd encouraged him to pursue Steve for the same reason she always checks to make sure he has backup arc reactor chips in five places around the building and one in whatever car he's taking. She wants Tony to be able to replace the Pepper-sized hole she's leaving in his heart, because she knows better than anyone how messy it is in there.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	4 Sticks

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to copperbadge for beta magic!

"Big plans! Super busy!" Tony says, clapping his hands together. "Pepper's back in a couple of hours, we're doing lunch. Oh, you're helping me model out the X82 panel prototype tomorrow -- you _are_ helping me, right? I mean, please help me."

Steve nods. He doesn't think he's really much help at all, but he's game to assist Tony whenever he asks. He can only spend so much time on the internet catching up on history. Fine, that's a lie. He can spend hours of every day catching up on history, jumping from article to article and shaking his head. But honestly? He'd rather do that at a desk in the lab and ask Tony questions over the blaring music and knock him a kiss once in a while when he pauses for a breath.

This morning, Tony had introduced Steve to the Yardbirds, Cream, and the concept of the supergroup. "Like the Avengers," Tony had said. "Except...louder. And with more drugs." Steve's iPad is getting cluttered from the music downloads Tony routs through JARVIS whenever he thinks of some seminal moment in rock Steve should be made aware of.

"Tonight at seven, the team's all here for a Mexican feast. I'm chef-ing, and I promise a fiesta in your mouth," Tony says with a wink, and Steve grins back. "Want to chop chiles? I'm making four different sauces. It's very impressive."

"I'm kind of wiped out," Steve says. "I'm going for a swim, and then I think I'll hit the sack for a while."

"You sure?" Tony asks as his hand drops to Steve's thigh. "I mean, I could watch you swim. You have this kind of Greek Olympian form. Can you do it in the buff?"

Steve stifles a laugh. "No, that's okay. I'll see you tonight," he says standing up to go. Tony stands too, grasping his shoulders, and slides his hand behind Steve's neck, grazing his nape with a thumb.

"Tonight." Tony murmurs.

"Yeah, Pepper's going to be here soon, so I should leave you two alone anyway."

"No. Come out to lunch with us."

"Tony..."

Tony tilts his head. "Alright," he says finally, and leans in to give Steve a kiss. "Whatever you want. See you at dinner." 

"Seeya then."

Tony watches Steve walk to the elevator. He doesn't look back.

 

His reunion with Pepper goes differently than Tony had thought it would. He'd expected them to catch up for a few minutes, have a drink to unwind, repair to the bedroom, spend a few wanton hours, then order lunch in. They catch up for a few minutes, have a drink to unwind, and then Pepper dumps him. 

"I think we should break up," Pepper blurts, watching his face carefully. "I mean officially."

"We were unofficially broken-up?" Tony asks. "But we had an open…thing. You know, you do your thing..."

"You do Steve…"

"You knew all about that. And you never objected - I asked you very seriously if you objected and I would have listened," Tony says quietly. "You were _in on it_." And doesn't that sound terrible, like Steve was another of his projects, like those solar backup panels for the helicarrier currently kicking his ass. But it's true; when Tony had confessed that Steve had been driving him up the wall, Pepper had planted a seed: _"You should pursue that. I see the way your breath catches when you look at him." "No. What? Cap? You're nuts." "I am sure that there's something there - I know you, Tony." "You're still nuts." "Am I wrong?" "But he hates me." "No he doesn't; I can tell. What I would do is..."_

"Of course I was," Pepper says, "And he has nothing to do with this."

"But I love you."

"Oh, Tony," Pepper says, smiling, her voice matter-of-fact. "You don't have to possess everything you love."

"Yes, I do!" Tony replies, and Pepper shakes her head. "Actually, let me amend that. It came out really wrong." 

"I know you love me. You also love sunsets and world peace," Pepper points out.

"It could be argued that I do own world peace," Tony says, tapping his fingers against those of the alloy glove on the table. "Sunsets…well, that's just a weird outlier. But you know I never thought of you as a possession. I hope you never thought that."

"I love you too, Tony. I'll always be there for you. It's just that it can be a little stressful for me when we're a couple. Don't take this the wrong way, but it's worse than being CEO. You're kind of high-maintenance."

"You're saying you love me, though," Tony says. "Wait, how am I high-maintenance? I'm not the one who has like, four hair-straightening irons."

"You have sixteen cars, though." Pepper pokes his chest. "I was your assistant for a really long time, Tony. When I was doing that, I bossed you around a lot, which was part of the gig. But...I really don't like bossing my boyfriend around. 'Get some sleep, eat your Wheat Chex, take your vitamins, no - vodka doesn't contain vitamins, quit risking your life.' It gives me these, hm, how do I put this?" Pepper sighs, "It's like you give me mommy feelings, and I can't help that, and it's kind of a boner-killer."

His ego is wounded, but less than he thought it would be; he'd seen this coming, like a train on the horizon. One of those slow, steam engine trains, not a bullet express or anything. But a train called breakup, heading into Stark Station. Tony might have to put on some Hank Williams Sr. 

"I cannot...believe you just said the words 'boner-killer'," Tony says.

"So are you good with this? Friendship? I want us both to be good with this." Pepper skritches her nails lightly on his shoulder.

"I'm gonna miss you."

"Don't be ridiculous. We see each other all the time. I still work for you. What's to miss?" Her voice turns serious. "You'll always be in my life, you know that."

"It's not the same," Tony says mournfully.

"It's eerily similar. Except for the sex part," Pepper says. "And you have that covered."

"Are you upset? I mean about Steve. We haven't talked about it since before, I mean you know, you insisted you were okay with it, you even...like I didn't even think of it until you...but you weren't _really_ okay with it, were you? Steve was right; he tried to tell me that people get jealous, it's normal. And you just don't want to say because you're being far too nice to me, as usual." Tony takes a deep breath. "I'm an asshole. This is all my fault."

Pepper shakes her head vehemently. "It's not at _all_ about Steve," she insists. "You saw this coming for a while too; come on."

Tony thinks of the train, steaming forward. _Chug-a-chugga._ That had to be the world's hokiest analogy, but it fit. Relationships, Tony is finding out, aren't so high-tech. And that's probably why he finds them so goddamned hard. 

"So you're not an asshole," Pepper assures him. "Not about this, anyway. You need to tell Steve that, make sure he knows I am in no way jealous and it's not his fault. It's not even your fault, and things are often your fault. This is nobody's fault, because it's not anything bad that needs to have blame draped all over it. I can talk to him, if you want."

"I don't think that would be the best idea," Tony says. "I'll catch him before dinner, let him know that you and me…just, let him know. And tell him he's not responsible and you weren't jealous. That's what I should do, right?"

"That's a perfect plan," Pepper agrees, resting her head on Tony's shoulder as they watch the sun glint off the Chrysler building. "Hey, that unfinished suite downstairs...do you mind if I keep my stuff there?"

"Of course not," Tony says. "Keep yourself there. And finish it any way you want." Tony picks up her hand and weaves their fingers together. "Steve thinks you're sleeping with Maria."

"Steve is very observant," Pepper says.

Tony turns towards her on the sofa. "So tell me about it."

"I'm not ready to talk about it aloud yet. I'm still processing. And no, you can't watch."

"That wasn't what I was going to-"

"Yes you were," Pepper gives him a look.

"Okay, yes I was, but not right away. "

 

Pepper's decision had hurt Tony's feelings at first, not to mention his pride, but he realizes immediately that she's sincere; she actually means the part about staying friends. It isn't like what most people say when they break up. _I just want to be friends_ usually means _I'm completely sick of the idea of you and I wish you'd fall off the face of the planet_ , he thinks, as he pulls pork from the Sub-Zero and starts chopping onions. This is novel, because Tony has pissed off more friends than he's managed to keep (it's a small miracle that Rhodey still takes his calls). That goes for employees too, and Pepper has put up with more shit than anyone else. Mountains of shit, in fact. Putting up with Tony as a life partner, however, was apparently overreaching.

And then he considers that maybe she'd encouraged him to pursue Steve for the same reason she always checks to make sure he has backup arc reactor chips in five places around the building and one in whatever car he's taking. She wants Tony to be able to replace the Pepper-sized hole she's leaving in his heart, because she knows better than anyone how messy it is in there. And then he loves her even more. And if he's tearing up a little, it's the fault of the onions.

Pepper really is a better friend than Tony deserves.

"Music, JARVIS," Tony says. "You pick." 

"Of course, Mr Stark," JARVIS replies smoothly. A doleful Sarah McLachlan song beings to play. 

"Ha ha. Black Sabbath, thank you very much."

Black Sabbath's Changes starts up.

_She was my woman  
I loved her so  
But it's too late now--_

"No. Something else."

The unmistakable opening chords of Black Sabbath's Paranoid ring out.

_Finished with my woman  
'Cause she couldn't help me with my mind  
People think I'm insane  
Because I am frowning all the time _

"Random shuffle, JARVIS!" Tony shouts, and Computer God fills the room. "That's fine. Thank you, asshole!"

 

At the table before dinner, Tony regales the table about the work he's been doing on the solar panels. "Cap is a huge asset. Seriously, Steve's a really big help, for a non-technical guy. He was able to create an internal perspective of this thing that totally makes it work - a sketch on paper, if you can believe it. I saw it in a whole new way, even with 3-D rendering, I couldn't visualize it before. It would totally blow you away." Tony pauses and looks up. Thor is rotating his glass in the light and Natasha sets her drink down when Tony looks at her, Bruce is painstakingly piling a pyramid of pico de gallo chunklets and guacamole upon his tortilla chip and Clint and Pepper are conducting a thumb war.

"Guys, am I boring you with the shop talk?" Tony asks.

"Oh. My. God." Natasha slaps her palms on the table, hard, and the silverware jumps. "You _are_ sleeping together."

Thor perks up as Natasha continues, pointing accusingly at Tony. "You and Steve. You're having sex."

Tony, for once, is speechless, but his face says it all.

Bruce starts choking, clutching his throat, and Natasha looks alarmed as Clint pounds him on the back. "I'm not hitting you. Don't get mad. I'm not hitting you. Dontgetmad," he repeats, like a mantra.

"Water," Bruce gasps.

"Give the man some water!" Tony says, and Bruce gulps gratefully from a glass Thor thrusts into his hands.

"Are you okay?" Pepper asks, looking concerned.

"I'm fine," Bruce coughs. "Just surprised. And Clint, I'm not going to hulk out over a chip."

"I know that, intellectually," Clint says.

"Tortilla chips can be really sharp," Tony says, with a sympathetic nod.

"Back to the topic," Bruce says, looking at Tony. "I'm just surprised that you and Cap are a…thing. A surprise gay…sex thing." Bruce's eyes suddenly dart to Pepper, and she smiles at him, chin perched on her hand.

"Bi," Tony corrects him.

"I'm sorry. I mean, I thought you and Pepper were…"

"We decided that we are both better off--" Pepper begins.

"--just friends." Tony finishes.

"Not _just_ friends," Pepper said. "That sounds like a downgrade. We are very good friends. Forever friends. Awesome friends."

Natasha nods to herself and takes a sip of her margarita, looking satisfied with her conclusion, and Clint rubs his forehead, refilling Thor's water glass from the pitcher.

"And of course, Pepper--" Natasha begins, until Pepper shakes her head at her. Natasha makes a zipping motion over her own lips and shrugs at the question in Thor's eyes.

"Sorry I'm late," Steve says on entry, pulling up a chair and reaching for the chip bowl.

"Have a nice nap, gramps?" Tony asks, and Steve rolls his eyes.

What did I miss?"

A pause.

"Appetizers," Clint says, munching on a chile relleno.

Tony sweeps his eyes over the table, clearing his throat. "Uhm, dessert's going to be great. Arroz con leche."

"Arrows?" Clint raises a brow.

"Arrrrroz," Natasha says, rolling her r's beautifully. "Rice pudding."

"We have been discussing that Pepper and Tony are awesome friends, as are all of us," Thor says, indicating the party with a sweep of his hand. "And we have also discovered that you and Tony have become lovers. My congratulations!"

Tony covers his eyes with his hand. Steve freezes, then gets up, his napkin fluttering to the floor as he stalks off. Thor lowers his toast glass slowly.

"Well, that was supremely awkward," Clint says, poking at the shaved ice in his drained frozen margarita with a pinky.

"Did I say something improper?" Thor asks quietly. Natasha pats his arm and murmurs something in his ear.

Tony begins to leave the table, but Pepper captures his arm. "No," she says "Just sit. I'll go."

"I really should-"

"Trust me," Pepper says, placing her napkin on her plate and getting to her feet as Tony picks up the empty salsa bowl and heads to the kitchen.

"Let me help," Bruce says, trailing Tony. "I ate most of that."

"I'll make more drinks," volunteers Natasha, making a beeline to the bar.

Thor offers his hand to Clint. "Show me how to wage these thumb wars."

"Please don't break my hand," Clint cautions him.

 

Pepper raps at the only closed door in the vicinity, the bathroom, with a knuckle.

"I'll be out in a minute," Steve calls out.

"It's me," Pepper says, and is met with silence. "Come on. I know you're not pooping." 

Then the lock twists, and she opens the door and shuts it behind her. Steve is sitting on the closed Japanese toilet (it talks) so she perches on the little bench opposite, on a stack of folded towels.

"Steve-"

"I'm so sorry that all of this dirty laundry is getting aired, and like this. You must feel just awful."

"It's not..." Pepper had thought that Steve would be angry at Tony for blabbing, if anything. "Natasha guessed, because Tony was sort of raving about how great you are. He didn't tell everybody." He had to know he had nothing to be sorry for. "You know that I knew all about you two, right?" she asks. "I actually encouraged it. That wasn't the problem."

"That's what Tony told me," Steve says, looking like he would rather be somewhere else.

"Good. I want to make sure you know that--"

"Wait. What problem?"

"I hope he also made it very clear that you had nothing to do with us breaking up," Pepper says.

"He d-- you...what?" Steve stares at her. "You broke up? When did this happen?"

"It's been coming for a while, but, well, earlier today. And it was my idea. He didn't talk to you about this yet? Because he was _supposed to_." Steve shakes his head as Pepper raises her eyes to whatever invisible sky deity might be listening. "Give me strength."

"Oh no. No, this is all my fault," Steve says, miserably. "I knew that I'd screw everything up."

"Listen," Pepper taps Steve's knees with her palms. "Listen to me. You are not responsible for this in any way. I'm just...I think you're good for each other. I mean, I don't know your intentions, but Tony is so..." her voice trails off. "He's so _happy_ about you. And that makes me ecstatic, it really does."

Steve pinches the bridge of his nose as Pepper stands, holding out a hand. "Come on. Tony slaved over dinner and it's probably edible since he's learning that recipes are like absolute formulas the first time you make them."

"Okay," Steve says finally, and Pepper gives his hand a squeeze as they walk back to the group.

Steve squeezes back. 

 

Natasha places a margarita in front of Steve and pats his shoulder, just and Bruce and Tony emerge from the kitchen with platters. "Dinner's up," Tony announces, catching his eye, and Steve tries on a smile. The group begins chowing on their enchiladas, silently.

"Well?" Tony asks. "How is it?"

Thor raises his fork and nods affirmatively. "Very good."

"Nice job," Bruce agrees. "This is actually delicious."

Steve can't help feeling as if a pall hangs over dinner, thanks to his reaction earlier. Something else to feel guilty about. When Tony gets up to bring out dessert with Clint's help, Steve notices Pepper smiling at him, though, and has to smile back. 

 

"Okay, verdict," Bruce says, putting his napkin on the table. "You win at all courses, Tony." Tony inclines his head in a bow.

Pepper sets down her spoon. "Thor," she says across the table. "You should finish your toast. It was nice."

Thor looks around the table, and Steve feels a wash of heat across his face. "Go ahead," he tells Thor. "It's fine."

"I guess the cat's out of the closet now," Tony agrees, and Steve bites his bottom lip.

"To friendships, and to new relationships," Thor booms, raising his glass. The Avengers each raise theirs and drink.

"Okay, can we all talk about this now?" Bruce says. "Because I guess you're out of the closet, but I feel really clueless."

"I don't. But you spend 80% of every day in your lab concocting potions," Clint points out. "Go to the gym once in a while and observe people."

"Now you're both so far out of the closet you have to buy new clothes," Natasha jokes, giving Steve's elbow a squeeze, and he can't help laughing at that.

"They're so far out of the closet they're a myth in Narnia," Clint confirms.

"This stays here," Tony says, eying Steve and then glancing around the table. "It's private. That means between us, not anybody outside this room, even Fury. Maybe especially Fury. Everybody cool with that?"

"Cool," Natasha says.

"Cool," Bruce echoes.

"I am likewise...cool," Thor replies.

"Thanks, everybody." Steve says. If he's being honest with himself, he's glad the news is out. At least here in Stark Tower, he doesn't have to hide the way he feels about Tony.

"You know what's missing from this dinner party?" Pepper ventures. "Music."

"JARVIS," Tony calls out. "You heard the lady. Or you know what? Throw up a video on the big screen. Something from Ms. Potts' playlist."

A t.A.T.u. song starts to play, and Natasha smirks into her glass.


End file.
